Reviews

An Unlikely Countess by Jo Beverley

misspippireads's review against another edition

Time Period: 1765
Location: England

dajoyofit's review against another edition

3.0

I told myself I wouldn't buy it. I was giving it a quick glance. After chapter 3 I went and bought the book.

jackiehorne's review against another edition

3.0

After hearing Jo Beverley speak at the RWA conference (about what romance writers, particularly American ones, get wrong when they write about the English past), it was fun to get hold of her latest and give it a read. Beverley writes intelligently about intelligent characters, something that is all too rare in the field, and her research and historical grounding shine through in this addition to her oeuvre.

But this isn't one of her best books. It begins slowly, with the h/h meeting in the first chapter but then not seeing each other again until almost a third of the book is over. Once they do get together, there is little, emotionally, keeping them apart, which was an interesting change from most historical romances. Here, the h/h like each other from the start, and there is little of the typical romance fighting/antagonism between them. A friendly, enjoyable relationship, although the lack of sexual tension between the two (and lack of sexual consummation throughout the book!) made the relationship less compelling that it might have been, as did the too-sudden turnaround at the novel's end by the hero's sister-in-law. An interesting exploration of class differences, but not the most engaging narrative.

iskanderjonesiv's review against another edition

4.0

After leaving the army and falling out with his family, the Honorable Catesby Burgoyne is drowning his sorrows when he comes across a woman being attacked by thugs. A fight is just what he needs, but little does he realize the lady he rescues will change his life.



For Prudence Youlgrave is not just the victim of ruffians. Her life has been made a shambles by her selfish brother and brutish fiancé. But she has a bold and courageous spirit Catesby can’t resist, and before he knows it, he finds he has rescued her again by marrying her himself.



A reckless adventurer may be forgiven for such an impulse. But when Catesby’s older brother suddenly dies, he finds himself Earl of Malzard, and Prudence is suddenly a most unlikely countess. Neither she nor Catesby are prepared to face the shock of his family. Still almost strangers, they have no one to turn to but each other, and it is in each other’s arms that they find a love neither ever expected.

"Another jewel in Beverley’s heavily decorated crown."—The Romance Reader

 

"A delightful blend of wit, intrigue, and emotional victories."—The State (Columbia, SC)**

**

tessisreading2's review against another edition

3.0

Intensely readable, although the villains are rather unimpressive and the external drama feels tacked-on and unrealistic. It makes the book a less stressful read because it allows Beverley to make the emotional interpersonal family drama less important - we can still have soothing conclusions to those issues because there are Real Villains to be pursued - but it's kind of silly. The introduction of Diana Arradale towards the end also felt tacked-on and unnecessary. Overall, a pleasant book but not much to set it apart from Beverly's other works.

tak_everlasting's review against another edition

2.5

it was not good per say, but i had good time reading it, or at least with the book that i imagined this to be.
i liked the version of the characters that i built up in my head reading the premise more than i liked them in the book. they did a lot of things, went a lot of places, and still managed to be unmemorable because none of it connected.

it had a nice set up, nice characters, and pacing that skipped around more than a scratched cd.

also i couldn't tell if the writer was pro- or anti- classism, and if you're going to make so many moral statements, i should know where you stand by the end of the book. 1 star lost there bc it lost me.

annie26's review against another edition

4.0

This would have been a five star if it had not been for the abrupt ending.

showmethemonet's review against another edition

3.0

Right around the 75% mark it felt like Beverley suddenly realized she'd left the iron on at home and just bolted - which is a shame because she's very readable and up to the 3/4 mark, the book was very good! A strange, weak resolution to the villain problem and an altogether lackluster ending that should've been more complex and way more rewarding!

writer595's review

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

mltola67's review against another edition

4.0

Se descuelga de la serie, pero Cate es el mejor conde que se puede imaginar